Reusable box construction



P. ARZO REUSABLE BOX CONSTRUCTION Filed 0013. 13, 1964 Dec. 27, 1966 INVENTOR.

PALMER ARZO ATTORNEYS v FIG. 5

a ,E VA l4 United States Patent 3,294,269 .REUSABLE BOX CONSTRUCTION Palmer Arzo, 2229 74th ,SE., Mercer Island,

' Wash. 98040 Filed Oct. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 403,477 1 Claim. (Cl. -217-12) This invention relates to improvements in those types of containers generally designated as knock down boxes, adapted for containing quantities of loose items or articles of various kinds, for shipment or storage.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a box-like container that is sturdy and rugged when assembled and bound; that is made up of a minimum of components that .may be easily and readily assembled and bound to assure safe handling and shipment; which components may bereadily disassembled and collapsed for fiat stacking, to occupy a minimum of space for return shipment orfor storage; said components each being made up of lightweight parts or pieces that may be nailed, stapled or glued for their secure joining in assembled condition and whi-chprovides that containers of like size as made from said components may be evenly stacked, easily handled and rendered rigid and durable incident to the applicant of flat wire bands thereabout as hereinafter disclosed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a container of the kind and character above stated, made up of rectangular top and bottom wall sections of the same dimensions; each with opposite side rails of wood, joined across their opposite ends by end rails, thus to define a rectangular frame that has a lightweight cover panel of pressed fiber board, or the like, stapled thereto; said container also including a body portion comprising opposite side and end wall panels that are embodied in a single, continuous rectangular strip of corrugated paper board that, in the assembly of parts, defines the height of the container and which strip has a length slightly greater than the perimeter of the container formed; said strip being transversely creased for easy bending to define the joined side and end walls and at one end has a tab that is designed to be overlapped with and stapled to the opposite end of the strip to complete the container body; the body strip also having spacing rails secured transversely thereto, for abutment at their opposite ends against the side rails of the top and bottom components to give weight sustaining strength to the container.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the specific details of formation and assembly of parts embodied in the various components of the container, as Will hereinafter be described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container of this invention as assembled and bound for shipment or storage.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a top or bottom forming component, shown apart from the container.

FIG. 3 is a view of the body forming strip of corrugated paper board, shown at reduced scale as flattened before folding, and as transversely creased to define the opposite side and end wall areas and the body.

FIG. 4 is a reduced scale cross-sectional view of the container showing the body forming component with top and bottom components, fitted thereto.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section of the container taken on line 55 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional detail showing of the application of bracing piece to a side wall of the container.

a Patented Dec. 27, l 966 ice Referringmore in detail to the drawings:

In .FIG. 11 have shown the present container as assembledand bound for shipment. It comprises top and bottom forming components :10 and 11 which are identical in size and construction, and may be interchangeably used as top or bottom components. -Also, it comprises the body forming component 12 which has been-shown in its trip form and in a flattened condition in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 2, I have shown the bottom component 11, as seen from its inside. It comprises a-rectangular frame formed of suitable wood str ips comprising opposite end rails 13-13 and opposite side rails 14-14 that are notchedand overlapped and stapled, nailed or otherwise joined at their ends, as best shown at 16 in FIG. 2, and to which frame a covering panel 15 is applied and is stapled ortacked thereto for securement as at 17 in FIG. 1. This cover panel preferably is of hard pressed fiber board, of lightweight and'relatively thin.

The body forming strip 12 has been shown in FIG. 3 in a flattened condition, before being shaped in rectangular body form. As shown in'this view, it is understood to be a continuous-strip of corrugated paper board, of a length somewhat greater than the perimeter of the body ofthe container to be formed thereby. This strip is transversely creased, along the dash lines 18 shown thereon in FIG. 3, to define the end and side wall areas thereof designated herein respectively, by reference letters A, B, C, and D. The strip 12 terminates at one end in a square cut edge He and at the other end in the tab E which is to be overlapped with and secured to the end edge portion of the opposite end panel A for joining the body in its rectangular form. When the body strip has been creased and bent to the body form shown in FIG. 5, it may be applied edgewise within the bottom component 11 and the top component 10 fitted over its top edge portion, as shown in FIG. 4.

In the application of the top and bottom components to the formed body as in FIG. 4, the topcomponent is additional-1y supported from the frame of the bottom component, as has been shown in FIG. 1, by means of vertical braces or cleats 20 that are applied as in FIG. 3, to the outside surfaces of the panels B and D that are to form the opposite side walls of the body. These braces or spacers 20 are of equal length and shorter than the width of the body cforming strip and are placed in end edge alignment, as seen in FIG. 3, and are securely applied to the strip by staples applied from the inside of the strip. When the strip ends are joined for seating the body in the bottom frame, the square cut lower ends of all spacers 20 engage firmly or flatly against the top surfaces of the frame rails 14 of the bottom component as in FIG. 1, and then when the top component is applied over the top edge of this body, its side rails 1414 will be seated against the square cut upper end surfaces of these spacers. The spacers 20 afford additional strength and rigidity to the body and give greater supporting strength for stacking of such containers.

After the container top and bottom components have been applied, the container may be bound and secured in tightly closed condition and held against disassembly by applying binding straps 2525 of flat, round or rectangular cross section, about its opposite end portions as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. Flat metal bands or wire bindings are preferred.

Where extra strength and support is desired, as may be found desirable in the making of elongated containers, I apply intermediate braces 26' as illustrated in FIG. 6. These braces are extended between the side rails of bottom and top components and have their ends notched as at 27 to fit within outwardly faced receiving notches 3 28 in the outer faces of the side rails 14 against which they are abutted.

It is to be noted that when the body, top and bottom components, have been assembled the container has a smooth, tight inside wall surface and is desirable for the packing of articles therein that otherwise might be detrimental to fragile articles. Containers of this kind may be made in various dimensions and of various materials not inconsistent with the teaching of this invention.

It is also to be emphasized that in lieu of the stapling or nailing oi parts together, glued connection or other means of securement may be employed as may be found desirable.

What I claim to be new is:

A knock-down reusable three-part box comprising a body component and preassembled interchangeable like top and bottom components; said body component comprising an elongated rectangular body strip of bendable sheet material that is transversely scored to define the corner lines of the body and the length of its opposite side and opposite end walls, cleats secured to the outside of said side walls of said strip adjacent the respective score lines and parallel thereto, the ends of the cleats being spaced inwardly from the edges of said strip, said body strip being bendable at the score lines and joined at its opposite ends in rectangular body form; each of said top and bottom components comprising a rigid rectangular frame, top and bottom sheet-like wall panels secured to said rectangular frames, said top and bottom components being fitted respectively over the top and bottom edge portions of the rectangular body with said edge portions of said body fitted within the rectangular frame of the corresponding component and seated against the respective top and bottom Wall panels that cover the frame to provide a smooth interior walled enclosure, said cleats being in abutting and supporting engagement with the top and bottom frames and comprising the sole load sustaining reinforcement means between the top and bottom components; and strapping means, vertically and transversely surrounding said container in engagement with and overlying and parallel to said cleats and traversing said top and bottom wall panels.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 937,443 10/1909 Kelley 217-12 1,538,211 5/1925 Pinkerton 217-12 2,054,764 9/1936 Berkowitz 22923 2,451,211 10/1948 Gersten 217-12 2,709,020 5/1955 Ladd 217-42 2,939,601 6/1960 Evans et al 217-12 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Examiner. 

